Trouble's Looming
by cornyromantic
Summary: Dan's pushes Rikki away, protecting her from the fears he has of his Hep. C treatment, only to realise how much he is missing out on.
1. Chapter 1

**TROUBLE'S LOOMING**

_Summary_: Dan's pushes Rikki away, protecting her from the fears he has of his Hep. C treatment, only to realise how much he is missing out on.  
_Disclaimer_: Obviously I don't own All Saints otherwise my ideas would be portrayed on the show rather than in my own head and on fanfiction :D

_A/N_: I am not really sure how to portray Frank, but i'll try my hardest to picture what he would say in my head, so im sorry if it doesn't seem like him.

* * *

CHAPTER 1 : Ignorance is bliss

The halls of the All Saints emergency department were always busy. The hustle and bustle of incoming ambulances with people supporting various amounts of medical problems. Today. Wednesday. It was quiet. Eerily silence protuding on the walls.  
Frank sat aimlessly at his messy desk, clicking a pen as he stared into nothing.  
"Frank, were you planning on taking advantage of the quietness that we somehow have stumbled into, or did you just come in to drive me insane"  
"Well! Where are all the bloody patients? How can a hospital function without bloody patients? Why don't you go out there and run some people down with your car, then we'll actually have something mildly interesting to do"  
"You could always start on the paperwork that has building up on your desk for the last three months since i cleared it last time"  
"Don't be stupid! Now why would i do a silly thing like that? " he remarked, walking from the room.

* * *

Erika Templeton walked through the waiting room and into the emergency department. As she opened the door she was faced with her boss, the head of the ED, Frank Campion.  
"Frank. Where is everyone"  
"Good question young Erika. I don't know what the bloody hell is wrong, or in this case, what isn't wron with all those fools who decided not to be sick or get injured today. We have one patient in trauma 1. who need a broken arm set and a loony in 4. that is addicted to morphine, waiting on a consult from psych. It's going to be a really eventful day in emergency isn't it"  
"Yes, i can only imagine that people are all holding off till the same time, when they will all suddenly realise that they are dying"  
"You are probably right about that. I will look forward to that thanks Erika, thankyou"  
"No worries Frank," she smiled, walking to the locker room where she piled her belongings into her assigned locker. On the inside of the door there was a photo. A photo pf the two of them. Erica and Dan, they looked lovingly at eachother, smiling as they had their arms wrapped tightly around eachtoher's waist. She always loved that photo. She almost ripped it down in anger, but instead carefully pulled it from the metal of the door and folded it, placing it inside her bag before closing the door and walking towards the door.

As Erika walked out of the tea room, Dan Goldman came running through the door, his bag piled in his arms as he slung his staff identification arpund his neck.  
"Hey!" He said, stunned, as he almost walked into her.  
"Hi," Rikki replied, putting her head down and walking out into the empty halls of the ED.  
Dan dumped his stuff in his locker and ran after Rikki, calling her name into the echoing corridor.  
She stopped, just about to round the corner, and turned swiftly on her heels, eyes still focused entirely on the floor.  
"Rikki," cried Dan running towards her.  
"What Dan?" she said, looking into his eyes for the first time.  
"Listen.." he paused, " I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry how I treated you last week, I was, well I still am, just scared about how this treatment for the Hep. C was going to hit me. It comes with mood swings, irritation, and well you know the rest, and I love you too much to put you through that. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing"  
Erika laughed. "You didn't want to put me through that. What a load of crap Dan! You're just pushing me further and further away everytime you try to make excuses. What makes you think that I didn't love you enough to stick around through the hard times. Do you think of me as that shallow a person? You're pathetic." At that, she walked briskly around the corner, knocking Jack on her way round, muttering, "Sorry Jack," before continuing on her path to the elevator.

* * *

Dan put his shaking hand to his head, running his sweaty palm through his hair as he leant back against the wall. He had given himself the next treatment for the Hep. C that morning, and was feeling it already. Last time it took over 24 hours. Nausea suddenly over took him as he ran towards the bathroom, passing Jack on the way.  
After completely emptying his stomach of anything he had eaten in the last 24 hours, Dan stumbled out of the cubicle to find Jack leaning against the wall, a look of disappointment on his face.  
"Why didn't you tell me Dan? I could have supported you"  
"Jack, I'm, fine! Honestly, I just ate something that disagreed with me"  
"For god's sake Dan, I am a doctor, you don't need to convince me otherwise"  
Dan exhaled loudly, closing his eyes. "I don't want this Jack, why is this happening to me? It's ruining my whole life"  
"Although the symptoms of the treatment do have a contribution, I am sorry to tell you that it is YOU that is letting it ruin your life. You need to let people in,let them help you"  
"I don't want people's pity, especially Rikki, if that's what you're talking about"  
"She just wants to be with you Dan, you just have to trust her. She doesn't pity you. She LOVES you, thats a lot more than a lot of people ask for"  
"But Jack, you don't understand... Her being involved with me is only going to cause her pain"  
"How about you let her decide that for herself, hey? She's a big girl Dan," Jack finished, exiting the bathroom.

* * *

All day Dan had thought about what Jack said. Whilst the ED of All Saints Hospital was almost dead quiet, the workings of Dan Goldman's brain, would more than compensate.  
He finally came to a decision on what he was going to do. He walked along the halls of the hospital, looking in every corner for Rikki, who he hadn't actually seen all day since their incident that morning.  
It was pretty much the end of his shift by the time he entered Franks office.  
"Frank, do you know where Erika is"  
"Yes, infact I do for once. She went home about half an hour ago, there was no point so many of us being here to treat the whole 4 patients we have"  
"Fair enough, well I am going to head off now too, so I'll see you tomorrow"  
"Okay. And Goldman?" he paused.  
"Yah," replied Dan. "Don't be an idiot with her. Now get out of here"  
Dan didn't even think twice before leaving the hospital and jumping in his car. He made his way to Erika's as if on autopilot, until pulling into her driveway. The light in the living room blasted through the front window, as Dan saw her dark figure moving gracefully through the room.  
He got out of the car and made his way up the front steps, pausing only for a second before knocking lightly on the door. He heard footsteps throughout the house before she pulled the front door open, instantly closing it as she saw who it was.  
Dan blocked the door with his arm, the metal knocker on her door, cutting a deep cut into his forearm. Erika flinched, but only for a second, before regaining her compsure and pursing her lips.  
"Rikki please can we talk?" He begged, nursing his bleeding arm with the other.  
"Dan, don't do this"  
"Please Rik! I just want to talk to you!" He cried.  
"You've got two minutes!" she stated, looking at the watch that clung to her wrist.  
"Well, first I wanted to say how sorry I am for everything that I have done to hurt you. That honestly was not my intention and I regret all of it! What it comes down to Rik. Is that I miss you! I love you and I miss you, and I have been an idiot"  
"I missed you too," she replied, taking Dan by complete surprise, "but you cannot keep pushing me away! We're either in it together, or not at all"  
"Yes, yes I know, and I vote for in it together! Please baby, I've been so stupid"  
"Okay." she stated, a smile creeping onto her face.  
"Okay?" Dan repeated, trying to make the word sink into his head, "You mean okay, okay"  
"Yes, now come and kiss me, I missed you so much"  
Dan stepped forwards wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off her feet, the pain of the gash in his arm forgotten as they passionately kissed in between smiles and laughes and comments of "I love you" or "I missed you so much.  
After five minutes of make-up kisses, Rikki pulled Dan by his good arm into the bathroom where she patted the surface of the counter for him to sit on.  
"Oh, now you're going to play nurse are you"  
"There is no playing about it, that is really deep Dan, think you need to go and get stitches"  
"Oh, not now. Please, I just got out of that place, I don't really want to be going back there"  
"Well, I'll tell you what, I'll put a dressing on it, but if it doesn't stop bleeding, we're going to the hospital, no arguments"  
"Okay, okay, what ever you say!" he agreed, pushing his lips into the crook of her neck.

* * *

A/N: sorry i know wierd place to stop...but what do you think? Please tell me, this is the first All Saints story i have written and i need to know! PLSPLSPLSPLSPLSPLS Review.  
P.s. Dan and Erika make the cutest couple in the world hence why wrote this. There should be more Dan's and Erika's in the world!

P.P.S. sorry if the editing is bad, i don't have Word on this cruddy computer so its all notepad! haha... :(  
REVIEW!  
Hannah


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As the beams of the bright, early morning sun peeked through the small gap in the curtains, Dan lay on his side, propped up on his elbow, staring intently at the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully beside him.  
He could not resist softly laying is hand on the side of her face. He pushed a strand of her silky chestnut hair off her face, caressing her face with his warm hand.  
Erica's eyes fluttered open at Dan's soft touch. The skin tingled where his hand had previously been.  
"Hey," Dan said quietly, smiling at her and running his hand down the porcelain skin of her arm.  
"Hi," she whispered in reply, "What time is it"  
"Early," he stated, still not removing his gaze from her.  
"What are you doing awake so early?" she asked, placing an arm underneath her head for support.  
"I'm too mesmerised to sleep. Too grateful." He said, truthfully, "I'm lying here trying to understand how or why I am so fortunate to even have you in my life, let alone in the same bed as me. You're just so perfect. In every way"  
"Dan! I'm the lucky one," she said, cupping his face in her hand, "You're the sweetest guy in the world! And I have you all to myself"  
Erica rolled on-top of Dan and placed her lips softly over his. Dan ran his hand over her delicate face and threaded his fingers into her sweet smelling hair.  
They pulled apart and stared into each others eyes.  
"Ricki, I love you so much, I don't want to ever lose you again. Ever"  
"You never will. Ever. I love you too much." Their lips briefly touched before Erica placed her head on Dan's bear chest, closing her eyes and listening to his heart beat, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Both Erica and Dan were woken very suddenly by a loud bang outside, like a car accident. They jumped off the bed, startled and ran to the bedroom window, peering out into the street where a small car had crashed into the brick wall before the front door.

"Oh my god" Erica muttered before running towards the front door. She was out there and approaching the car before anything even registered in Dan's head. He ran out after her.  
The front of the little red car was all mangled into the scrap of what used to be Erica's wall. In the drivers seat, there was a man in his mid-thirties who obviously had some quite severe injuries, including a laceration to his forehead which was bleeding quite badly.  
"Are you okay?" Erica asked as he started to regain consciousness," I'm a nurse. My name is Erica. This is Dan, he's a nurse too. What's your name?"

The man looked at Erica with confusion, before his expression changed completely. His look of confusion and horror was soon replaced with anger and frustration.  
"What the hell do you want?" The man yelled, moving around and trying to open the car door.  
"We're just trying to help you. What is your name?"  
"That's none of your business you slag! Get out of my face!" He said, giving up on the jammed door and climbing out the open window.  
"Hey, hey, hey! There is no need for that!" Dan exclaimed, jumping in front of Erica, "We're just trying to help you in case you didn't notice. And YOU are the one that crashed into HER wall!"  
"Are you trying to threaten me?" The man yelled before reaching into the car and grabbing something off the back seat. Before either Dan or Erica realised what was going on, the man pulled out a rifle and pointed it directly at them.  
"Wow," Dan exclaimed, as they both raised their hands into the air, Erica moving closer to Dan," There is no need for that now."  
"No one threatens me!" the man smirked and pointed at Erica, "Come here you pretty little thing!"  
"No! Ricki, stay there!"  
The man pointed the gun directly at Dan's head and moved closer," Come... Here" he stated quietly.  
Dan was about to object, his heart racing at the thought of Erica being in someone elses possession, before Erica brushed past him, a stern look on her face, tears threatening to break through, "Dan, it's okay" she muttered.

The man grabbed her roughly by the hair and pointed the gun directly into her temple. Dan shivered, closed his eyes, and tried to think of a way out of the situation.  
"What do you want?" Dan said quietly.  
"You know what, i was looking for an apology, but i'm over that and she seems kinda nice. I want her."  
A cry escaped Erica's lips.  
"What, you don't think it will be worth it darlin'? Don't you worry your cute little toosh. You'll enjoy it! All right in front of your dorky little boyfriend here."  
"Come on, please just let her go!"  
"Or what? What are you going to do?"  
Dan was silent, trying to come up with something, anything that he could do.  
"How bout you let her go, and you leave, and we won't call the cops. Please!"  
"I don't think so buddy! How bout we make our way inside and you show me where your bedroom is aye?"

The man pushed Erica on the back, causing her to stumble forward, past Dan. Dan took this opportunity to take the man by surprise.  
"Run Ric!" He exclaimed before lunging and the man and grabbing the gun. The two men wrestled with the gun between them before a shot was fired. No one knew where the shot had gone, but they soon found out when there was a yelp from Erica's direction. Dan used his anger to wrench the gun from the man's hands and point it directly at him.

"Get out of here! I never want to see you again! If you ever come near either of us ever again, i won't hesitate to kill you! Now Go!" Dan yelled.

The man bolted down the street and out of sight. Dan disengaged the gun and threw it to the floor before running over to Erica who was on the ground just inside the front door, clinging to her thigh.  
"Oh my god Ricki, I am so sorry, this is all my fault!" He looked at her leg, the blood forming a pool on the wooden floor, then to the strained and pained expression on her face.  
"Dan, it's not your fault, you were protecting me, you were protecting us!"  
"Yeah and you got shot, what kind of protection is that? I'm going to go and call the ambulance! I'm so sorry! I love you!" He kissed her head and ran to the kitchen where he phoned the ambulance.

In the few minutes that it took for the ambulance to arrive, all the colour had drained out of Erica's face, and as Dan sat next to her, applying pressure to her leg, her eyes began to drift shut.  
"Ricki, Ric, look at me, open your eyes honey!"

* * *

A/N: OOOOooooooo, cliff hanger! I know it has been a while since i updated, but i kinda lost the inspiration... but the dan/erica content on all saints has been kinda lacking lately so... i got a tinsy bit inspired... i will continue, when i come up with some more ideas So REVIEW people! Hehe, Please! :D


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